Translation and Validation of the Tamil Version of the Menopause Rating Scale

Introduction: The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) is a widely used tool to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and severity of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women. The objective of the present study was to validate a Tamil translation of the MRS, as a Tamil translation is not available. Methods: The Tamil translation of MRS was developed following standard methodology, and a validation study to assess psychometric properties was done at the community level in Mannar, Sri Lanka. Reliability was assessed through internal consistency and test-rest reliability. Validity was assessed using content, discriminatory, and construct validity. Results: Internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficient ranged from 0.74 to 0.78 and test-retest reliability assessed by weighted kappa (k) ranged from 0.51 to 0.71. Content validity was evaluated by the acceptability of items for a sample of women and gynecologists conversant in Tamil during the translation process. Discriminant validity between symptomatic and asymptomatic women was significant for all three domains: somato-vegetative, sexual, and psychological (P < 0.05). Factor analysis with exploratory principal component analysis revealed three factors that explained 55.9% of the cumulative variance, demonstrating satisfactory construct validity. A MRS total score >= 6 had a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 84.7% to identify symptomatic menopausal women. Conclusion: Tamil translation of MRS retained the psychometric properties of the original questionnaire and will be an invaluable tool to assess menopausal symptoms and HRQOL among postmenopausal tamil-speaking women.